Raven Wings Trimmed With Gold
by whenthedaysarecold
Summary: Merlin has got wings and this is what happens when his guise breaks apart.
1. Chapter 1

There was a legend, of a boy with hair as black as the darkest night, eyes as blue as the deepest ocean that glowed a fierce gold and skin so pale it would rival the starkness of freshly fallen snow. The thing about this legend that made it so unique, was that this boy has wings the same shade of his hair, traced with flowing trails of shimmering gold. Arthur had always loved this story in particular. The idea of having wings and flying like a bird to escape was very alluring, but he never mentioned so to anyone because of the ban on magic his father had put into place. It made him sad that there was a ban on everything magical, because he really really wanted to meet this boy with raven wings and blue eyes.

And to his surprise, he did. He didn't know about the wings that the boy carried though. The rest of the tale was true to every word, His black hair, the deep blue eyes, and the very pale skin. The two things that didn't match up were that his eyes were supposed to glow gold and that he was supposed to have massive wings. This boy was puzzling, and Arthur enjoyed a good puzzle. When Uther made this boy his manservant, he was more than ecstatic to have this beautiful creature so close to him every day.

Merlin was his name. Beautiful name, Merlin. He was staying with Gaius and came everyday to do his duty as manservant to the crown prince. They took up a sort of routine. Merlin would do the buckles on Arthur's armor and Arthur would watch every one of Merlin's smooth movements, until he tripped over his own feet. But he never fell. Arthur was always there to catch him. Having his wings wrapped in bandages is a downside, as it takes away from his natural balance. It's why he's so clumsy all the time. No matter though, having Arthur's arms around his slight frame, even with the bandages padding it up a bit, is quite nice.  
Merlin's life has been difficult. It was bad enough when hunith had to keep him locked up as a small child because he couldn't control his magic then. He would just send candles and things flying when he got upset or he would make bunnies out of dust when he wanted to play. She was scared the other children in the village would tease and pick on him for being different and if the whole town knew they would try to kill her precious merlin for being a sorcerer, or at least a creature of magic. That's why when Will found out she was furious.

-cue flashback-

He and merlin had been playing tag at night and merlin figured if he hid is a hollow tree stump and covered himself in his wings, will wouldn't be able to see him at all. He had forgotten about the golden veins running through some of the feathers. Will had seen the golden shimmer and decided to go and check it out. When he reached out to touch the shimmering golden stripes, they were soft and he heard a muffled squeak from under the mass of black and gold. Will was frightened and stepped back getting ready to run, but he was frozen to the spot when he saw a small 12 year old merlin stand up and shake his wings. When he realized Will was right there, he was terrified. His eyes were huge and he was shaking with fear when will walked up to him and reached out a hand towards the wing. Merlin jerked his wing away and started to slowly back up until his back hit a giant oak tree and he was trapped.

"W-will…. Please don't touch them." Merlin was like a rabbit, scared and shaking

The moment Will's hand was back at his side, merlin let out a breath he was unaware that he was holding. His wings folded against him, almost like a partial shield. Will could only stand in wonder and stare at the beautiful wings that were coming from his best friend's shoulders.

"Merlin, you're shaking like a naked boy in December. What's wrong?"

"Y-you don't hate me?"

"No! how could anyone hate something so beautiful?!"

Merlin blushed at that and his wings curled around himself, trying to hide behind his wings. It was this moment merlin's mother arrived. She was furious, but once will explained she was not as angry.

-end flashback-


	2. Chapter 2

"Good morning Arthur! Time to get up!"

Arthur had absolutely no desire to get out of his nest of warm blankets, so he groaned and flipped onto his stomach, trying to ignore Merlin's attempts to get him out of bed.

"Arthur come on! You meet with the nights today. You remember right? A hunting trip with elyan, Percival, gwaine, Leon, Lancelot and the two of us."

Arthur remembered, he just didn't really want to go. After all, a week of sleeping on a padded roll in the woods isn't exactly fun. But he had a promise to uphold to his nights, and they were going hunting.

Slowly, Arthur unfolded himself out of his bed and padded over to where Merlin was laying out the clothes he was going to wear-heavy undercoat, chainmail, and his sword.  
As Merlin is putting on his chainmail and doing the leather straps to his extra armor he got to appreciate his view and Merlin's close proximity. His cheekbones, my god, you could cut your finger if you rubbed them the wrong way. Long pale fingers that would be great during- oh, why was he thinking about this? It was Merlin, his manservant – not a princess. He wasn't supposed to feel this way about his manservant, none the less a man. But who could not be infatuated with a creature as beautiful as Merlin?  
Merlin had finished, and was now looking at Arthur with his ocean blue eyes. He was close, almost close enough to just tilt his head forwards a little bit and brush his lips –no. he has to stop. But those eyes, why had he never seen the flecks of gold before? Without realizing, he is leaning forwards a little bit, and once he realizes he's doing it he jerks back. A glance at Merlin's face told him he was relieved, or was it disappointment? No – he shook the thought from his head.

"Come on Merlin. You were in such a rush to get me out of bed and now you're just standing there. Get the horses ready and I'll be down in a few moments."

"Yes sire." There was emphasis on the sire, like he was upset. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard "prat" mumbled just loud enough for him to hear when Merlin was walking away.  
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The ride out to the first clearing the hunting party was stopping at was excruciating for Arthur. Having to ride slightly behind Merlin, seeing his hips sway like that on the horse, it was a good thing he was wearing his thicker breeches and riding a horse so no one else could Arthur Jr. standing at attention.

When they finally reached the clearing they would make camp at, Arthur excused himself to take care of little Arthur's needs. Luckily no one argued or made a move to question him, so he walked away and figured he would go and take a quick swim in the lake that was a short hike from camp. Little did he know, Merlin had also had that brilliant idea.

Sure, the knights had teased him for "going after" Arthur, making his ears go red. He went anyway, because who wouldn't want to go swimming after a long horse ride in the middle of summer time.

Before he stripped to get into the water, he did a sweep of the forest using his magic- he couldn't have anyone walking up to the lake and seeing his wings. No one was in the near vicinity, or at least no one he could see, so he slipped of his tunic and neckerchief leaving only the bandages on his thin torso. He had let his guard down, so when a rabbit came sprinting through the bush, he knew he was in trouble. Sure enough, here comes Lancelot running after the thing with a crossbow.

The rabbit escaped into the brush and Lancelot uttered a curse. He turned to go back to camp, but was shocked when he saw Merlin standing on the shore of the lake with a bandage wrapped around most of his torso. Merlin was petrified with fear, so he didn't move at all while lance slowly walked towards him, making sure that this was the Merlin he had just been laughing and joking with back on the trail.

"Merlin? What happened? Are you okay?"

Merlin remained silent. As Lancelot moved closer, reaching out a hand to look at the bandages, Merlin flinched away.

"I know it must hurt, but it looks like these have been here for a while and you need to change the bandages. Surely you know this. Hasn't Gaius taught you?"

"I know I'm supposed to change bandages! Sorry I yelled, but it's not an injury."

Lancelot looked very confused, "well what do you mean not an injury? You have bandages on, what else could they be for?"

Merlin's voice was no more than a mumble "to keep things in place."

Lancelot could tell Merlin was scared for his life, so he placed a firm hand on Merlin's shoulder, "Merlin, I could never be angry at you and I will never ever hurt you in any way. You understand? I will protect you."

"Thanks." –Sniff- "I guess I can show you then."

"What are you going to show me Merlin? It can't be to major"

"Well…"

Merlin mutters some words that Lancelot can't hear and right before his eyes, a large koi made of lake water is swimming circles around his head. He is speechless. How could  
Merlin, of all people, be a sorcerer?

"Well, you certainly know how to surprise a guy."

Laughter ensued, but then a very serious expression crossed Merlin's features.

"Lance, there's something else…."

"The bandages?"

"Yeah, could you help me undo them please?"

"Of course"

After lance untied the knot, merlin shooed his hands away and unraveled the bandages. As soon as the last of the bandages were off of his torso, he muttered a small incantation, and giant wings sprouted from his shoulders. Lancelot paled. This was the boy the fairy tale told about. Pale skin, eyes that were the deepest blue but shone gold, and the magnificent wings. Raven black with gold laced throught. All lance could think to do was to hug him, and so he did.

As lance pulled back, a thousand questions raced through his mind.

"can you fly?" was the first thing that came from his mouth. He was ashamed. It felt like asking a knight if he could ride a horse.

"yeah, I can fly. Can't carry anything though, Found that out the hard way."

"merlin, you are amazing. Amazing"

"thanks. And can you not tell Arthur? The other nights are fine, but I'd like to tell Arthur myself."

"of course merlin, you just shared the biggest secret anyone could have with me. I swear to not tell Arthur unless your life depends upon it. Deal?"

"deal."

"need help with the bandages?"

"if you don't mind yeah, thanks."

Lancelot slowly wrapped up the wings, now that they were smaller and could fit against merlin's back thanks to a spell. Just as he was knotting the gauze under merlin's left arm,

Arthur chose to walk out from the bushes.

"merlin what happened?" there was genuine concern in his voice

"I'll just head back and join the other knights then. Merlin. Sire."

The last thing merlin needed was to be alone with Arthur right now.

"merlin. I asked what happened."

"nothing happened sire."

"nonsense. You don't just wear layers of gauze in the summer for nothing merlin, now what happened?"

Arthur moved towards him. Knowing what was coming, he was again shaking with fear. Arthur was getting suspicious about why he was shaking.

"merlin, I'm gonna take these bandages off of you so I can see what's wrong."

"Arthur no! you can't"

"why not?"

Merlin didn't have an answer, so he slumped a little and gave up. When Arthur undid the knot, merlin yet again shooed hands away so he could unwrap them himself. He figured if Arthur was going to see them, he would see the whole thing. So out loud, in front of the king, he said a spell ti unravel the bandages and one immediately after to bring his wings to normal size. He hung his head in defeat and let the king look at him with what he thought would be disgust. It wasn't. in fact, it was pity that Arthur had splayed across his face, but it quickly switched to anger.

Arthur was advancing to merlin, and merlin was backing up. Every step was matched until merlin's back hit a tree and his wings were forced out next to him, their gold shimmering in the setting sun. Arthur had one hand on merlin's chest, holding him to the tree. The other reached towards a wing that merlin tried to pull away.

"tssk tssk. You are always so disobedient merlin. And you know what, I think that's why I love you so much. You are the boy from the ledgends, aren't you?"

"y-yes sire." merlin was still trying to recover from the 'that's why i love you' thing

"I knew it. That will make this, all the better."

And with that, Arthur crashed his mouth onto merlin's, and what did merlin do? Started flailing. But after a few seconds, he gave in to arthur's tongue licking the seem of his lips, and parted them-inviting Arthur's tongue in. a fierce battle for dominance ensued, but of course Arthur won. once both merlin and Arthur were out of breath, they stood breating eachother's air with their foreheads touching until a startled "what the hell" broke the silence

To their surprise, there was the rest of the hunting party, with crossbows, chasing after an increasingly far away deer. Well, merlin's secret wings weren't so secret anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

As Merlin sat around the fire with the knights looking at him, he was scared for his life, but excited all the same. He had been dreaming about the moment his closest friends would find out that he was the boy with the wings from the tales they heard as children. He should have dreaded the moment. The harsh eyes and accusing glares from everyone but the prince and lance were excruciating. The people he had called friends were now pointedly ignoring him.

Merlin still collected firewood, light the fire, made dinner and set up the bed rolls-all without someone asking him too. Arthur was definitely confused by Merlin's behavior. He was the almighty sorcerer from the legends. The one with huge black wings. And those big raven wings with veins of gold were the subject of many a fantasy for poor old Arthur. Seeing them gently curl in as Merlin was on the edge of-

No. this would never work between the two of them. EVER. He was the prince, nearly king, of Camelot. And Merlin was his manservant. His sorcerer manservant that he was madly in love with. Well shit, this was going to cause issues.

But, seeing him still act like a servant, even though Arthur knew he could get rid of them all with the snap of his fingers, was extremely puzzling to him. He had no reason to serve anyone. If anything, he should be the one with servants. And yet, there he was- wings strapped to his back, gathering firewood for those very knights that ignored him. All except for lance and Arthur of course.

And Arthur being the royal prat he is, he decides to go up and ask Merlin why he still acts like a servant.

He simply says, "It's what I was born to do sire."

This confuses Arthur even more. Needing to think, he decided that after everyone was asleep on their bed rolls, he would head out into the forest to think. He must have dozed off for an hour or two, because when he woke up, Merlin was not in on his bedroll. Figuring he needed to get up and find him before he tripped into the river, he reluctantly emerged into the frigid night air to wander around looking for his manservant, Merlin.

His mind still clogged from sleep, he didn't immediately register the huge dragon flying down as a threat. Only when he saw Merlin, standing right where the thing was going to land, did his brain snap together that Merlin was standing next to a giant dragon that could kill him. He charged forwards with his sword drawn, ready to cut the head off of this thing that was going to hurt Merlin.

But as he got closer, he realized that the dragon and Merlin were laughing. That didn't make sense, the dragon almost destroyed Camelot, and now Merlin was laughing at something with it? No, this wouldn't do.

The dragon seemed to have noticed that Arthur was standing there, so he craned his huge neck and said something that sounded along the lines of 'your destiny awaits emrys.'

"Why did the dragon call you 'emrys'?"

Merlin blushes and even in the scant light of the moon, Arthur can tell that the tips of his ears are bright red.  
"The druids. That's what they call me. They believe I'm the most powerful sorcerer to ever live."

"oh." Is as much of an answer as Arthur can give. How is his sweet innocent Merlin suddenly the most powerful man ever?

"We should get back, if we're going to sleep at all."

"Yeah, good idea."

They walked in silence for most of the trip, until Merlin tripped on a rock and flung into Arthur's back. Arthur turns just in time to see Merlin fall down to the ground face down in the leaves.  
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Merlin woke up in a sort of daze. He saw the prince kneeling over him dabbing the cool cloth on his forehead. He wanted to sit up, he knew he could – but Arthur wouldn't let him. He clearly cared about Merlin a little more than he was letting on.

No. he couldn't get his hopes up about that. He knew Arthur didn't feel that way about him, his manservant. He couldn't.

Noticing Merlin was awake; he brought the cloth off of Merlin's forehead and cupped his cheek in his hand.

"Good to know you were stubborn enough to stick around Merlin."

"Never could leave"

"You mean it?"

"'course I do Arthur. I will be at your side until the day you die."

Arthur just smiles and looks down at Merlin. One look at Merlin's face and even the most inexperienced person could tell what he wanted right then. So, of course Arthur was willing to oblige. Arthur cranes his head down and the second that his lips touch Merlin's, he knows this is only Merlin's first real kiss. Slowly, he lifts one leg over Merlin's hip so that Arthur is straddling Merlin's waist. As Arthur is licking the seam of Merlin's lips, Merlin realizes what he's supposed to do and grants Arthur entrance. From then on, it was a hot fluffy of tongues and wandering hands.

Arthur broke the kiss to stand up, and pull Merlin with him. After pulling Merlin's tunic over his head, he did the same to his own tunic, discarding them somewhere to the right on the forest floor. All that was left as a barrier for skin to skin contact was the bandages. He slowly reached up and untied the knot he had done a few days ago. While Arthur unraveled the bandages, he watched Merlin's face to see any discomfort or anger. He only saw fear.

Upon realizing that Merlin was scared, he started murmuring reassuring things under his breath. Merlin had apparently heard a few of them, because he started to relax. As the last strip of gauze fell to the ground, he launched himself at Arthur. Their lips crashing together that sent a message of need, want and passion. As Arthur's hands entwined themselves into Merlin's glossy black feathers with veins of gold, Merlin's fingers skimmed along the waistband of Arthur's breeches, but Arthur pulled back from the kiss.

"Merlin," he pauses, as if trying to find the words. Not finding a more poetic way to say this, "I will not allow your first time doing something... extremely intimate with someone be in the middle of the forest at dawn."

Merlin looked ready to object, but the look on his prince's face said otherwise. Underneath the rigid off-putting sentence lies a promise. A promise made by the prince, that he himself wouldn't allow Merlin to lose something that could never be brought back, on the forest floor at dawn. If that didn't speak volumes about how much he cared then Arthur didn't know what would.


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin was crouched in front of the fire, making yet another type of stew for the knights' dinner. He jumped when Arthur put a hand on his shoulder and kneeled next to him.

"You should let them out Merlin" he says, no more than a faint whisper

"The knights already hate me for glimpsing them in the woods when we were…." Merlin blushes and his ears turn that amazing tomato red again," so I don't know how they would react to me making them dinner with my wings out."

"Merlin. The prince of Camelot told you to bring your wings out. Full size too please. I know the bandages are tight on you, why not indulge a little?"

"I guess you're right Arthur. Come on then you prat, help me with the bandages."

Merlin stood up and pulled his tunic and neckerchief off so that Arthur could get to the bandages and well, his wings were coming out. When Merlin's shirt came off and Arthur put a hand on his shoulder, gwaine definitely noticed. Also seeing the bandage across his chest, he hit percival's massive bicep and pointed in the direction of Arthur. Soon, the whole group of knights was watching Arthur try and undo the knot on Merlin's bandages.

Lance finally gave up and went over to cut the knot with his small hunting knife. Once that was done, he retreated back to the group of other knights and stood waiting. Arthur unwound the bandages more intimately than he would have with anyone else. Considering the events of last night, he was certain Merlin liked it as much as he did.

As the bandages slowly came off of his chest, the knights saw the red marks and indentations Merlin had from wearing them for a longer period of time. Gwaine was worried, so he made a move to step forwards, put Percival help him back. The look in percival's eyes was one of worry, fear and betrayal. Up until then, gwaine had forgotten about the wings.

Gwaine was jolted back to reality by the sound of a massive wing beat and collective gasps. To his surprise, he found an enormous pair of black wings sprouting from Merlin's shoulders stretched out to a gigantic wingspan. The wings had pulsing trails of gold that ran through them and seemed to be alive.  
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After a moment of stretching his cramped wings, he folded them loosely against his back and the tips dragged across the ground. Arthur knew Merlin would complain about his wings getting dirty later and that he would have to groom them. But for now, Merlin just let the tips brush the forest floor. It was right about now that both of them noticed that the knights had been watching this whole time. Embarrassed, Merlin flushed red and turned to keep making the soup. Arthur just nodded in the knights' direction and walked into the woods.

At dinner, the knights mentioned things to Merlin. Like when gained thanked him for the soup. His happiness must have showed through his wings, because gwaine just chuckled and finished his stew. After a nudge and a stern look from gwaine, Percival too thanked him for the stew

Arthur was happy to see the changes beginning to form in the knights, so he convinced merlin to keep his wings out until they were almost at Camelot. He told merlin that it was because seeing him do the normal routine with the wings will get them to see that the wings won't hurt anyone. Arthur didn't tell merlin it was because he really really liked the wings.

merlin wasn't so sure that it was a good idea, but after the next few days of riding and hunting, the knights were warming up to him again. resuming the natural teasing that went on before the knights found out about his secret was as always, they picked on his wings more than anything else.

Merlin learned that even though the knights picked on him even more, it was a way of coping with his secret. After he recognized that fact, he start to tease back, picking on Percy's arms, Gwaine's flowing mane of hair, leons almost beard and elyan's inability to cook. It was beginning to be normal by the second day he had his wings free, so Merlin figured Arthur was right – they just needed time to adjust.

Merlin felt like everything would work out in the end, but his magic kept telling him to prepare for something that might tear the group apart. Knowing his magic was never wrong, he told Arthur immediately. Arthur scoffed, but took the warning all the same. It turned out that it was a good thing that Merlin gave Arthur the warning, because that night at dinner, Gwaine asked if he could touch Merlin's wings.

Arthur immediately scooted a little closer to Merlin, and Merlin looked at the ground.

"Arthur, you answer. I'd prefer no, because not many people have touched my wings, just two or three. But you can choose, I trust you." He whispered to Arthur.

"Gwaine, I would prefer you didn't touch my manservant's wings." arthur had suddenly become very possessive of merlin

"Yes sire." Gwaine looked a little saddened by this, but if he was he kept it to himself.

"that goes for everyone. No one lays a hand on his wings without his or my permission."

Leon was the first to question it. "why do you get to grant permission, sire?"

Arthur looked at merlin and whisper-asked if he could tell the knights. Merlin nodded his consent.

"merlin and I have had a bit of a…" he pauses and takes a deep breath "a sort of relationship going on."

Everyone was surprised, including merlin. He hadn't considered them an item, simply because he was the prince. And now he could say that he as indeed in a relationship with the crown prince of Camelot.

Lance was the first to voice his cautious congratulations, and everyone else followed. That night, there was talking laughing and on arthur's part, a few wandering hands that made their way into merlin's wings.

The knight pretended not to notice, but how could you not?


	5. Chapter 5

When Merlin woke up next to Arthur the morning after he let out his wings, he was happier than he had been in a long time. He wanted to stand and stretch his wings, but the way Arthur's legs were entwined with his, made it nearly impossible to get up without waking Arthur. Merlin decided to live with the cramp in his wing to see his prince charming sleeping so peacefully.

While Arthur was sleeping, Merlin groomed the parts of his wings that he could reach, managing to get the tips and the lower mid-section of his shiny black wings. In the midst of picking out all of the dead leaves, dirt, and lining up the feathers, Gwaine had woken up and was now moving towards the remnants of last night's fire.

Noticing this, Merlin untangles his legs from Arthur's as gently as possible and made his way over to the fire that Gwaine now had going. Merlin felt safer around Gwaine and Lance than with the other nights, they seemed more accepting. As Merlin sat next to Gwaine, his wings managed to twitch out at just the right moment to whack Gwaine in the temple with the thing.

A groggy chuckle turns their attention away from the glaring contest to see a half asleep Arthur sitting up on his bedroll. Merlin mumbled a quick 'excuse me' and got up to go see Arthur. When Merlin was pulled down to the mat, all Gwaine did was give a humorous 'not to loud now!' and walked into the woods to give them as much privacy as he could.

As soon as Gwaine had left, Arthur began to interrogate him.

"Why were you staring at each other?" the question stung Merlin. How could Arthur think that?

"Glaring more like it, and I accidently hit him with my wing." Arthur let out a sigh, it could have been relief, but then Merlin looked over and watched as Arthur's fingers beat out a rhythm oh his thigh. He knew Arthur was worried about something, and he intended to find out.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." You could see through his lie like you could see through a window.

"Arthur, I know something's upsetting you, and I'd like to see if knowing can help."

"We've been out her too long Merlin. I told my father a week, and it's been six days. We need to head back. And soon."

"Alright. I'll wrap these guys up-" he waggled his wings up and down a bit " and we can start before it gets to the full light of day."

Arthur's hand brushed Merlin's shoulder, and traced down his arm. He spun Merlin around so that his back was to the tree line. And just in time too, he was Gwaine emerging from the forest and looking around. Without a second thought, Arthur laid his hands just above Merlin's hip bones, making those big blues look straight into his colder blue eyes.

As Arthur leaned down to plant a kiss on Merlin's cheek, Merlin wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled himself up to Arthur's lips. Knowing Gwaine would see them any moment made him apprehensive, but after a few seconds he gave in to the kiss.

After a few breathless minutes filled with love and wandering hands, they broke apart.

"We should probably wrap those things up so we can head out when the rest of the knights wake."

Merlin made a faint nod to acknowledge his agreement, but he didn't really want to. He muttered words that sounded so foreign to Arthur, but when he saw the golden veins in the wings come to life and glow brighter that before, he knew the words were magic. And unlike the shrinking they usually did when those words were said, they stubbornly stayed the same size.

After a few tries from Merlin and some encouraging words from Arthur, they gave up.

"I think they got bigger." Merlin stated, so plainly you would have thought that line was rehearsed.

"No. not bigger." Merlin looked thoroughly confused, "they got fuller. The feathers are thicker, they are wider and stronger. Maturing is my guess."

Merlin looked absolutely pale, if it was possible to get anymore pale then he already was.

"So, no more shrinking?"

"I guess not merls."

"What are we going to do?!" Merlin was distressed, and worried. If uther found out that Merlin was the legend boy, he would be banished or executed then and there. But there was nothing else to do.

"Merlin, I swear on my blood that I will never let you die without my father paying a price. I will never leave you and I will never, ever just stand by and do nothing. You hear me Merlin? I'm sticking with you."

Merlin smiled, and tucked his hear into Arthur's neck and they just stood there, arms around each other swaying gently with the breeze.

As the knights slowly woke up and ate breakfast, Arthur made the announcement that they would leave for Camelot as soon as everyone was ready to go.

"But, sire," it was Gwaine. "What about Merlin's wings?"

"There has been a….development."

"What do you mean sire?"

"Merlin's magic doesn't work on them anymore. They seem to have grown too much."

"This could be an issue sire."

"Do you not think I've realized that?!" it came out much more angered and harsh that he wanted it too.

"sorry." He dropped his tone "I just care about Merlin's safety. His well being means a great deal to me. Do you understand?"

Gwaine looked slightly startled, but agreed nonetheless. As the knights got onto the horses, they were still not used to seeing Merlin's wings flare out every time the he felt off balance. They would always flinch, and Merlin would draw his wings in again, until they flared out again. They rode until it was too dark to go any farther and made a makeshift camp for that night. Events went as usual, but the knights noticed Merlin and Arthur drifting closer together and the brush of a hand or a wing would linger too long to be an accident.  
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The moment the party could see the citadel, the knight all turned to Merlin as if they expected something. At first he had no idea, and then he remembered that his wings were still out. Arthur must have noticed his sudden panic, because he rode over and stood next to Merlin, explaining the whole citation.

The knight recognized Merlin's panic and Arthur's wry, so they agreed to enter the citadel in a circle of sorts. Merlin and Arthur in the middle, and the knights circling. When they stopped at the courtyard, the king himself was there to greet them. Since Merlin had kept his wings folded, Uthor hadn't noticed yet, but ye would soon.

Arthur climbed off of his horse and offered his hand as you would for a lady. Merlin's cheeks and ears flushed red, but he accepted the gesture and slid off of his horse. When he landed, he stumbled a bit and out flared his wings, snapping to their full span, a massive 14 feet. The king was frozen for a second, but then, he regained composure and asked  
Arthur to kindly escort his manservant into the castle.

Upon closing the heavy doors, uthor ordered the guards to show his son and his manservant to the throne room. Knowing what would happen if they didn't go willingly, they followed the guards o the throne room, in an almost sulky type way. They waited outside the door for a few moments, before uthor requested they entered. When they did, they found two empty chairs seated in front of the throne, presumably for them. As they took their seats, Uthor eyed Merlin with suspicion and doubt.

"Arthur, did you know about this, abnormality, with your manservant?"

"Yes father. I am the one who suggested that he leave them out."

The king looked mildly surprised by this, but only nodded.

"And you, boy. You are aware that the crime of sorcery is punishable by death."

"Yes sire" was barely heard above the echoes of the room.

"Then it shall be that thi-"

"No"

"Arthur, did you just interrupt me?"

"Yes father. And I said no. you will not kill Merlin."

"Why won't I Arthur? Why wouldn't I kill a dirty, filthy, evil sorcerer?" with every word that uthor spat, Merlin flinched.

"Because father," there was a pause, "I care about Merlin. Quite a bit actually."

"What do you mean by 'care about him' Arthur?"

"I mean," he pauses and looks at Merlin, then turns and stares his father in the eyes. "I mean that I love him."

Uthor scoffs. "You can't be se-" he stops, mid sentence, when he sees with his own eyes, that the words his son have spoken are true.

"BANISHED! BOTH OF YOU.! YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNSET TO PACK UP YOUR THINGS AND LEAVE CAMELOT FOR GOOD!"

Arthur turned to his father utterly stunned. And that was when he heard the thud. As he turned, he knew exactly what had happened. Merlin had fainted and was now sprawled on the floor unconscious, his wing twitching every once and a while.

Arthur knew that meant he would have to carry him and pack both of their things.

"Well fuck."


End file.
